The Things That Matter
by eternallypeaceful
Summary: Gabriella hated weddings. She absolutely despised them. But a lonely night in a bar, a party and a memory of her lost mother might just change everything she knows about herself. All because of a brown haired man with crazy blue eyes. TxG
1. Chapter 1

**This is kind of a little drabble that I thought of just now. It's a short and sweet two shot. Hope you guys like it! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical. **

"I really don't understand. You are sweating profusely, I can literally see your heartbeat in your neck and you just dragged me into the bathroom immediately after your incredibly sweet, amazing, gorgeous boyfriend proposes to you at your grandmother's 70th . What is wrong?"

Gabriella sighed, stopped pacing and leaned her back against the bathroom wall. Sharpay just did not get it. Maybe she never put the pieces together. How Gabriella intentionally fell asleep every time they saw Sharpay's favorite movie 27 dresses. How she never liked white dresses. How at prom she insisted that her date not wear a black tux. Even when a number of friends sent out their wedding invitation, Gabriella wouldn't be able to make it.

"Gabriella.." Sharpay started as her best friend slid down the wall until Gabriella was a little ball looking up at her. "Do you not want this?"

Then, she huffed, collapsing her forehead on her knees.

"You know, you have to come out of this bathroom sometime. And, there is a whole crowd of people waiting for your answer out there. Not to mention, Devon who you just skedaddled away from while he was down on one knee" Sharpay knelt next her. "You're gonna have to explain to someone at some point. Might as well be me"

For the hundredth time, Gabriella sighed. She lifted her head up from her knees and caught Sharpay's hazel eyes. Sharpay could tell something was up. It was definitely not that Gabriella didn't love Devon, not that she didn't want to be his wife. Sharpay couldn't count the number of times that Gabriella gushed over how much she wanted to grow old with him and have his kids.

Gabriella, on the other hand, was just as frustrated that Sharpay couldn't realize what was bothering her so much. She's never verbalized this but it was very prominent in her life. The two had been best friends since high school, why the hell couldn't Sharpay help her out this one time.

Staring at her more intensely than ever, Gabriella decided that she had to spit it out. And, she was about to. Just a couple more seconds. Unexpectedly, she gasped for air through her nose and with an exhale she said:

"I hate weddings".

Sharpay blinked. "What?" she asked, now more confused.

"Sharpay" Gabriella whined. "How could you not know this? We are best friends. You should know this!"

"No, wait. You hate weddings?" Sharpay was utterly bewildered. This revelation never hit her before.

"Yes!"

"Weddings. You hate them?"

"Sharpay!"

"What?"

There was an awkward silence. This silence hadn't come between Sharpay and Gabriella since freshmen year of high school when they had just met. They have been the closest friends for almost ten years now and neither of them can remember the last thing they found out about each other. They were taken for granted. No one had changed. Suddenly, this pops out of nowhere.

"Is that why-"

"Yes, Sharpay it's why I refused to be your maid of honor" Gabriella picked herself up from the corner of the bathroom and then sat again on the edge of the bathtub.

"So 'all that your cousin deserves it more' stuff that you were talking about was a bunch of shit"

"Yes-but your cousin is an awesome person"

"Gabriella, please, it's my cousin. We both know who she is"

"Yeah, apparently more than you know me"

"Oh, come on,"

"Shar, when is the last time you remember me going to a wedding?"

She instantly remembered one but Gabriella beat her to it. "Except yours-that doesn't count"

Sharpay thought hard to come up with something. She was dumbfounded. It was right in front of her eyes the whole time.

"Yeah, okay, fine. I'm a stupid blonde" she admitted. "But I still don't get it. You love Devon. You guys are the perfect couple. But, now you don't want to get married?"

"No…I mean, I want to be with him. Forever. But it's the whole 'I do' stuff that I despise"

"The 'I do' stuff?" Sharpay questioned, not sure what Gabriella meant by it.

"You know; white dress, chapel, kisses, guests, priests, vows, answering very hard questions, asking if anyone opposes, the whole shebang" Gabriella answered, not making eye contact with Sharpay at all.

"Oh-that shebang"

Another, awkward silence. Sharpay's head was reeling. Gabriella, her best friend, hated weddings and she had never known this. It was completely ballistic. Wait. Sharpay looked up at the nervous brunette in front of her.

"Gabi, you do know that you don't need to have a wedding. You can go to city hall and do it simply"

"You still have to make vows"

"So, it's making promises that's your problem?"

"No-"Gabriella hesitated. "That's not the point. The point is that even if I want to go do in city hall, you know Devon. He loves parties. He'll want to invite the world to it. And, what am I supposed to tell him now. Sorry, hon, I hate weddings so maybe we can talk about this later?"

"Well, you kind of messed that up with the whole locking yourself in the bathroom thing" Sharpay retorted.

"Sharpay, you're not helping!" Gabriella whined again.

"Okay, lemme think about it"

Sharpay looked down at the floor of the bathroom and thought about it while Gabriella waited for her answer.

In the middle of the thinking, a knock resounded against the door.

"Sharpay? Gabriella? Is everything alright?" It was a deep voice on the other side of the door. It was a voice both of them recognized.

"Yeah. We're okay" Sharpay told her husband and she got up from her crouched position and unlocked the door to let him in. Gabriella opened her eyes wide and waved her arms to let Sharpay know she wasn't comfortable with anyone knowing about this yet. Too late.

A head of very bushy hair entered the room. "Shar- what's wrong? Everything is really awkward outside"

"Yeah tell me about it" Sharpay said rhetorically.

"Gabriella, are you okay? What happened?" Sharpay's husband now found an interest in the real dilemma.

"I'm okay, Chad. How's Devon? Did he say anything?" Gabriella answered.

"Well, um that's kinda why I came in here. You see, he ..uh.. He was really surprised by your reaction so he-"

Gabriella's heart started pacing again. "Chad, where the hell is Devon?"

"Well, you know,…he.."

"Baby, where is Devon? What did he say?" Sharpay encouraged him.

"Chad!" Gabriella scolded.

"He left!"

A moment of dead silence passed while it hit Gabriella like a train. "What?" she gasped.

"He left" Chad said it so innocently, like it was nothing, and with a slight shrug in his shoulders. Gabriella almost leapt to strangle Chad right then and there.

But a single thought stopped her from doing anything. "Oh my god! It's my fault isn't it? I just ruined everything! Shit! I am so fucking stupid! Shit!" she swore and chided herself.

Sharpay left Chad's side and engulfed Gabriella in her arms. "Gabriella, come on, it's okay. You have your reasons. He'll understand"

"But, I ruined it. He proposed and I ruined it!"

It took a whole hour for Sharpay and Chad to give Gabriella the courage to face her boyfriend. Her grandmother's treated the guests of her party nicely as they left. Gabriella's mind couldn't stop haunting her with her prediction of Devon's hurt face after what she had done. She had to see him. After Sharpay calmed her down, Gabriella changed into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. She had Sharpay drive her to their apartment. The door was locked so Gabriella got out her own key.

"Devon" Gabriella whispered, sniffing back fear as soon as she entered the apartment. His name on her lips felt like a sin to her. The guilt was like tar in her veins, weighing her down intensely.

There was an open suitcase in her bedroom. It was filled with neatly folded clothes. The yellow light of the closet was on.

"Gabriella?" It was him. He stepped out of the closet, his tall figure shadowed by the light. A hanger and a shirt were in his hands.

"What are you doing?" she asked blatantly.

"Packing" he said simply.

"Packing?"

"Packing" he repeated.

"Packing for what?" Gabriella questioned, fearing his answer.

"Gabi, you clearly rejected my proposal back at your grandmother's. I would think this is the end of what we have" he reasoned.

"That's it? You're just going to pack up and leave? We are not going to talk about it?" Gabriella was angered at this. He wasn't going to ask her why? He wasn't going to reason with her 'rejection'?

"What's there to talk about?"

"About why I left, Devon! You're not curious?"

"Well I just assumed-" he paused. "Gabriella, are you saying that you leaving wasn't your way of saying no to marry me?"

She bit her lip at this. Weddings. It rung in her ears with detest. Like a disease. "Kinda" she said.

"Kinda?" Devon repeated after her. "What does kinda mean?"

"Kinda means that I don't want to get married" she said slowly and cautiously. "But, it also means that I want things to stay the way they are"

"What way, Gabriella?"

"The way we are now. I want to keep dating you, and living with you and I want to wake up with you and eat with you"

"I thought that you wanted to grow old with me, Gabriella. You said you wanted kids, you love them" Gabriella could hear the heat of anger in his voice.

"I do, Devon! I just can't get married! I...I don't want to get married" their voices were rising and both Devon and Gabriella were aware of it.

"What's the difference? Growing old together, or growing old married? What's wrong with getting married?" he was yelling now.

"I just can't!" she roared back.

"Maybe I should leave, Gabriella. If you can't just give up one thing for me. If you can't just say yes the first time I ask, maybe we aren't supposed to be anything!" he threatened.

"Devon, please, just listen" Gabriella begged walking towards him now and taking his arm trying to make him stop packing furiously,

"Listen to what? You aren't saying anything to me right now!"

She stood her ground looking up at him with tears in her eyes. "I don't want to get married" she stated, plainly. "I don't want to have a wedding".

Devon was staring into her eyes, now, a mix of hurt and confusion slapped across his face.

"Why?" he demanded an answer with his deep, serious voice.

With that, Gabriella stopped to put her words together. She struggled against his gaze, trying to remember what everything was about. What was beneath her hatred for weddings? How come she couldn't get over it for someone that she loved? She stopped thinking for a second and let her eyes stray away from his gaze. Nothing came to her. It was like a blank black screen in her head. Devon lost his patience.

"You know what? Forget it. I can't believe I wasted my time with you!" he seethed through his teeth, picked up his suitcase and stormed out the front door.

"Devon!" she yelled following him out but his quick strides couldn't match up with her calls. It was too late and he was gone.

It was dark outside as she looked around the apartment complex for a retreating figure. All the while, Gabriella still racked her brain for the answer to his question. Tears welled up in eyes and flowed down her cheeks. Devon was gone. The love of her life slipped out from her grasp for no reason whatsoever. And she let it happen.

It was later than midnight when Gabriella found herself at a bar. The bar was a late night one that was just across the street from her apartment. She sat there, staring at the counter, no thought entering her brain. The day had gone by so fast. So much happened and it all overwhelmed her. She thought that a couple shots later, she might be loose enough for the answer to come to her. But it hadn't. She was the same. Just a little bit drunk.

"Bad day?" someone next to her said. The bar wasn't empty. It was actually pretty full, considering how late it was. Then again, it was a Saturday night.

Gabriella looked up to meet a pair of soft blue eyes. It was a man, a very handsome one with caramel colored hair who looked the same age as her. His jaw was square and mouth in a small recognizing smile. His eyes were waiting for answer. Gabriella realized she might have been staring at him too long.

"You can say that" she responded.

"Boss or boyfriend?" he asked.

"Boyfriend" she said. "He dumped me".

Gabriella never talked like this to people at bars. It was abnormal even for her, being very aware of it. She must be really drunk after all.

"Ouch" he said. "That sucks"

"Yeah". She said, looking down.

"I'm Troy, by the way" he put a hand out for her to shake it. She took it.

"Gabriella"

"Gabriella…"he repeated. "Wow, that's really pretty"

The way he said her name reverberated in her ears. "Thanks" she said, shivering slightly.

"So, Gabriella" he said, leaning on the bar counter. "Do you mind telling a stranger what happened? Or do you just want to kick my ass right now and tell me to get the hell out of your sight?"

A hearty laugh surprised Gabriella as it came through her throat.

"I don't mind" she said softly. "But it's a long story"

"Oh" he said with a smile. "My favorite"

She giggled again. Troy waved his hand at the bartender, signaling for more drinks. The bartender put two glasses in front of them and poured it with a copper colored drink.

They both took a sip of the beer not breaking eye contact. As Gabriella let the beer kick in to her taste buds, she started.

"I hate weddings" she said. Troy's eyebrows narrowed and he chuckled at her first words.

_This is it. _Gabriella thought. _He's going to ask me why and I'm not going to have anything to say to it. _

"Oh, me too" he said. Gabriella's train of thought stopped. "Weddings are the worst" Gabriella couldn't tell if he actually meant it or if he was encouraging her to go on.

So, Gabriella told him. She told him everything that went on the whole day. She told her about her grandmother's surprise birthday party, how Devon proposed to her, how she dragged Sharpay to bathroom to make her confession, how she ruined it with Devon and how she ended up here. And, through it all, Troy listened.

Troy had first spotted her when he entered the bar. The first thing he noticed- along with the fact that she was absolutely beautiful- was her hair. The way it framed her face and the way it cascaded down her back. Troy came here to meet a friend. They conversed but the whole time he couldn't let his eyes off of her. The second thing he noticed was that she was alone, and that she had an incredibly sad expression on her face. A strong urge exploded in him at that moment, something that told him to make the expression disappear. So, even after his friend had left Troy stayed back and took a seat next her. He waited a whole 15 minutes making side glances at her before actually speaking to her. It was hard the first words he said because once Troy sat down on the stool next to her, he soon realized that Gabriella was even more stunning up close.

Throughout the whole conversation, Troy absorbed everything. There was something about Gabriella that drew him in. The way she smiled and laughed for the first time made his heart thump like never before. The way her facial expressions changed so fast, with practically every sentence she said. He was completely enthralled by Gabriella until he hit dead end.

She was taken. There was a bittersweet feeling in his heart most of Gabriella's explanation to him. He knew he had wanted her, he was attracted to her and now that he knew that she had a boyfriend, one that was ready to get married to her, he wanted her more. But he couldn't. And, it killed him. All he knew now was that it would take a lot to get Gabriella out of his mind.

"So, now I'm here" Gabriella finished. "At a bar, drinking up all my self -hate"

"That's it? You just can't remember?"

Gabriella smiled, knowing what he was thinking.

"That's stupid" he said. But, that wasn't it. Gabriella's eyebrows furrowed. How could he say that? This wasn't stupid. It was a dilemma. A legitimate dilemma.

"What's stupid?"

"Gabriella, do you love Devon?"

She nodded, yes.

"Do you want to live with him the rest of your life?"

She nodded again.

"Then, what's the problem. The wedding is just a small passageway into what you really want. Hold your breath, close your eyes and it will be over with. You can live happily ever after that"

Troy said it so simply that Gabriella could digest it all.

"You're right" she said. She lifted her feet to the ground , standing out. "You're so right".

With that, she turned and ran out the door and left Troy at the bar alone. She didn't think at all that it was important to thank him. But she didn't think that he was going to be back in her life so soon, either.

**That's the beginning. The whole thing is a little bit of Grey's Anatomy and a little bit of my own little thing, really.**

**With love, cheers. **


	2. Chapter 2

Troy couldn't be mistaken. It was her. The hair, the eyes and the smile were all the same. Just like two months ago at the bar. What was he supposed to do now? Go up to her and talk? No, she might not even remember her. He glanced at her once more. _Damn it_, he thought to himself. A ring was delicately placed on her finger.

She turned from the counter of the Starbucks coffee shop with her freshly brewed cup in hand. Troy looked away quickly, hoping that she wouldn't notice that he was staring.

"Troy?" she called.

He looked over and splattered a surprised look on his face. "Gabriella! Hey, it's good to see you here!"

"Yeah! Honestly, I didn't think I would see you again" she said.

Troy chuckled. "Care to join me?" He offered and nodded his head toward the seat across the table. She sat down and he grinned.

"So, what have you been up to?" he said. "I see things worked out with Devon?"

"Oh..um..yeah. Three more weeks." she looked down at her finger, smiling to herself. "I never really got to thank you for what you said that night, Troy"

"No problem" he waved a hand at her and gave her a reassuring smile. Troy looked at her twice, glancing to the right making sure what he was about to say wasn't completely out of line. "Listen, my restaurant is opening this Friday and I am having a really big opening ceremony for it. I really want to get it out there, you know? Make sure people know about it. Would you like to come?"

"You're a chef?" Gabriella said, surprised. A spark lit in her. Gabriella's mother was a chef. The best cook ever, as she recalled. Her mother's food could make her happy, clear the sadness, and basically do anything to her. Sadly, Isabel Montez never lived to teach her daughter the art. Gabriella waited until the spark faded away until she talked again. "I don't know if I can make it…"

"It could be a way of saying thank you" he suggested.

Gabriella giggled. "Well, in that case, I can't refuse".

"Awesome" he pulled a card out of his wallet. "Here's the address. It's all on the house for just that night"

Gabriella took it curiously. It was a phone number and address.

"It looks really great" she complimented. "I'll try to make it".

"Perfect. I hope I see you there"

As Gabriella left that day, she didn't think that she was going to go. Two days later however, her fiancé had to go on an emergency business trip to California for a week. Out of boredom, she decided to show up and see Troy.

She dressed semi-formal, in a pair of slacks and a silky blue strapless top. The Albuquerque sunset was just about to burst into vibrant colors when she found the place. As Gabriella pulled the door to the restaurant, she immediately got pulled into the vibe of the building. It was dark, only a few blue lights lighting the place. Like Troy had promised, there was a buffet free of cost. There was a small fountain in the very center of the restaurant, where Troy was sitting with a mob of people around him. He looked like he was narrating a story judging by the movements of his hands and the expressions on his face. He also seemed really popular by the way people were simply enthralled with his presence. Gabriella bit her lip, rethinking her decision to come here alone.

But, as soon as she started to worry, Troy looked up to meet her eyes. His intense blue orbs sent a shock through Gabriella's nervous system. Troy's long caramel hair was lazily swept across his head, giving him a very youthful vibe. He was wearing a dark purple button up which were rolled up to his elbows. Once Troy recognized her, eyes lighting up, he lifted himself up and started sauntering towards her. Gabriella gave him a shy wave and he grinned. While he inched closer, she observed him more. This wasn't the sweet man at the bar. This was a Troy she hadn't met before, one that was absolutely gorgeous and carried a raw magnetism.

Gabriella never saw a man who could so shockingly carry out a honey sweetness and was also extremely stunning at the same time. Before she knew it, she was sucked in and as much as the tiny voice in the back of head told her not to, she let Troy take her hand and lead her into the party and the craziest emotional ride of her life.

Troy was a magician to Gabriella. He had literally grabbed her hand at the doorway a little over two hours ago and introduced her to all of his friends. Then, he started talking. Just going on and on about his life, his wonders, his adventures. People left, new people were rounded up but Gabriella stayed by his side. Hooked.

People even started to leave. Still, Gabriella stayed. The party was soon all mellow except Gabriella and Troy's conversation. Everyone had left, the place was a mess but Gabriella and Troy sat next to each other on a couch talking, simply talking. They talked about their lives and dreams, never getting bored.

"You know, I honestly didn't think that you were this much of an interesting person at the bar two months ago" Gabriella said, finally, after their longest moment of silence.

Troy looked at her and smiled, "What, did you think I was a crazy person trying to mess with your love life? I'm hurt Gabriella, really"

"No, of course not!" she exclaimed. "I thought you were really smart, and very sweet but not like this" she looked away from his eyes, embarrassed at what she was thinking.

"Like what?" he asked, honestly curious as to what she thought.

"Like what you are" she said, as if he would understand immediately. His face showed that he didn't. "Popular" she finally stated. "Like that guy in high school that is the serious jock who every girl dreams about"

Troy laughed, throwing his head back and letting it hit the top of the leather couch. He glanced at Gabriella again. Spending the entire time with her tonight made him feel like he was flying. He had noticed how Gabriella gazed at him through the entire party and all it did was rejuvenate him to talk more and with more enthusiasm. He never remembered himself like this, attracting a crowd type, but Gabriella's damn eyes just turned his locks. He felt like those dolls that had to be winded up in order to run.

"High school was the worst time of my life. I was nothing like I am today" Troy confessed to Gabriella.

"Oh really?"

"Mmmhmm" he hummed in reassurance. "Very nerdy"

"My, I guess we would've been friends in high school then" Gabriella said. Troy turned his head quickly.

"You too?"

Gabriella nodded with a grin on her face.

"Wow! I can't imagine" Troy's voice lulled out.

The silence was longer this time, both of them thinking of an alternate past where they went to the same school.

"Well, I should be going" Gabriella chimed as the picture in her head faded away. She got up from the sofa and faced Troy.

Troy eyed Gabriella gently as she lifted herself, turned around and smiled at him. He followed her up and observed her as she adjusted her top and her hair. Troy didn't want her to leave. He wanted her stay. Stay this happy and beautiful. Stay unmarried. Stay in his place tonight. Stay in his place forever. And, then he realized as cliche as it was, Troy wanted her to stay in his heart.

Softly, he smiled at her, as if it was an early apology for what he was about to do. He placed his hand on her waist and pulled her towards him. Then, ever so gently, he attached their lips. And it was perfect.

Gabriella didn't stop him. There was a buzz on their lips that she wanted to swallow up. She kissed Troy back. For the first time in her life, Gabriella felt the kiss slowly as it unfolded in front of her. His lips, at first, were delicately sucking her bottom one until he pulled away unhurriedly. He tried to look into her eyes, seeking her permission to go further but before he asked he had gotten it. Gabriella returned his kiss. As if there really was a switch, a familiar heat built up in each of their cores. Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck, now, and kissed him deeper. Troy grunted at her response, wondering if this could get any better. Immediately, he regretting making the noise, his heart skipped a beat and he froze. The reality of the moment came back to him. The darkness of his restaurant, the incredibly sexy women grazing his lips this second and all the dreams and thoughts of the past two months coming back to tease him. A surge of emotion coursed through him, he had to do something now. He had to take responsibility. But, it was Gabriella and she was kissing him. All he had wanted for the past eight weeks was just one chance, one of these moments for her to be his.

Troy opened his eyes at Gabriella, who was now clinging to his neck and reaching for his mouth on her toes. She was so beautiful- so passionate. Troy couldn't resist. Something about this being so wrong just made it feel so right.

So, Troy engulfed her lips quickly, reaching around her and placing his open palms on the small of her back. He pulled her closer, tightening his grip but then released her from his grasp. She looked up into his eyes. At first Troy was hesitant, he didn't want to look her in eyes and he didn't want to find out how guilty she really was for what just happened. How guilty he should be. But, Troy did anyway. He gazed down at her, while she looked up at him, and he was blown away. There was no guilt, no hint of grief. Gabriella looked up at Troy as if she wanted this.

Because, she really did want it. Without waiting another second, Troy traced his ring finger down the side of Gabriella's face and gently cupped her cheek. He leaned down and softly took her lips into his own for a long, zealous kiss.

"Upstairs" Troy whispered, as if speaking to a candle flame against her lips. She didn't say anything to oppose, she didn't try to make eye-contact again and she didn't hesitate. Gabriella just kissed him again, agreeing silently.

Troy laced his fingers between hers and lead her across the long restaurant hall. Gabriella trailed behind him looking at him as if hypnotized. Troy held the door open for her when entered the hallway to the restrooms. He walked across the way and up the stairs that were hidden at the end of the foyer. Troy climbed up one step ahead of Gabriella on a wooden spiral stair case that proved older than the restaurant itself. At the top of the staircase was a living room. There were boxes stacked one on top of the other. Troy led her through the maze of cardboard boxes to a room that had already been unpacked. A bedroom. Gabriella's heart began to pound, a throb in her core intensifying.

She wasn't thinking clearly. Only fragmented words popped into her head suddenly. Troy turned around to face her in front of his welcoming king size bed and all that ran through her mind was: _bed, Troy, eyes, hair, magic. _Worst of all, she didn't care.

Gabriella didn't look him in the eye, instead shying away from his gaze and choosing to look at her feet. Troy weaved his fingers through her black hair and held her head in his palm as he reached down to kiss her once more. He inched closer to her until he was dangerously close to her lips, grazing them mischievously. Instantly, Gabriella caved in to the friction and kissed him deeper. Her hands, initially placed on Troy's chest, had moved to the collar of his shirt, carefully opening each button. She pulled it from is trousers, and then slid the shirt down his arms. Troy carelessly tossed it aside while his mouth slowly made its way down her neck. At the crevice of Gabriella's neck, Troy suckled deeply at the accumulated knot. Sparks went off in Gabriella's mind.

"Oh.." she cried quietly into Troy's nude chest.

At that moment, Gabriella realized that she was about to make the best, craziest, most wonderful mistake of her lifetime.

* * *

><p>Troy stared at himself in the mirror. He couldn't believe that he was actually here. He couldn't believe that he really made the four hour road trip to center of New York at the Grand Plaza Hotel to watch the love of his life marry another person. Moreover, he couldn't believe that he that he came here to make the best day of his love's life turn into something completely miserable. Troy continued gawking at himself.<p>

_You're out of your mind, _he thought to his reflection. To Troy's surprise, his reflection had looked back at him and said proudly, _I know. _

Troy then realized that he actually looked more confident than he really was. He bent over the sink and splashed cold water onto his face. A memory flashed into his mind of the time he received the invitation.

It was just a day or two after the night they had been together. Gabriella didn't say anything the morning when they woke up tangled in each other's arms, surviving the freezing cold temperature with body heat. They had lied there for twenty minutes straight, not moving nor saying a word. Troy was the first to get up to go to the bathroom, but before he left he kissed Gabriella one last time on the lips. A kiss that would be good enough to lead them back into last night's happenings again. Troy knew that she would leave. He didn't know why that he was surprised to find no Gabriella when he came out of the shower. She was gone, evaporated and all that was left was a post-it note on his kitchen counter with two words: _I'm sorry. _

Troy had sifted through the mail after closing the restaurant for another successful day at work. He laid eyes upon a cream color envelope and immediately he knew what it was and where it was from. The same handwriting that wrote that heartbreaking note on his counter was scrolled on this envelope. Troy wondered when she had sent this.

For two days, Troy didn't open the invitation. He let it sit on his bed-side table for two nights, watching him in his sleepless state until he finally decided to open it. The words hurt much more than what he predicted. Gabriella's name printed on the fine paper made his senses revive with the memory of her taste, smell and feel. He missed her.

When he first read it, he was hurt. He read it again and he became hopeless. The third time, this crazy idea popped into his head. Two weeks and three days later, Troy cancelled Thanksgiving with his family, saying that he needed to work even though that was far from being true ever and ended up in this bathroom staring at himself and rethinking his motives.

He was almost blind with how much he wanted Gabriella back in his arms. He was a sleepless zombie walking around trying not to make eye-contact with anyone who will question how he knew the couple. He only knew one thing: and that was that he was in love.

It may not be true love, the soul-mate or whatever it was called these days. But, Troy was in love. And with the constant memory of Gabriella in his arms as she fall asleep that night warms him, he knew that love was the kind of thing that you didn't want to lose. Not even the first time.

"Excuse me, sir?" a man in a tux entered the bathroom. Troy turned, recognizing him from the bar. "The ceremony is about to start. This is a good time to get seated"

Troy nodded, thanking the man before he left. Troy's heart started to chant. With one look in the mirror again, Troy left the bathroom and grabbed a seat in the far corner of the hall.

The ceremony began beautifully- all perfect. Just the way Gabriella deserved it to be. Each moment that passed by, Troy felt worse and worse about what he was about to do. And, Gabriella looked amazing. Her dress was strapless, with a lace embroidery all over the white gown. Troy really wanted to think that Gabriella looked like she didn't want this either, like she yearned to be with Troy just as much as he wanted to be with her. But, that just might be Troy's withering hopes.

Finally the tame came when the priest asked the question: Is there anyone present in this hall who oppose the marriage of Devon and Gabriella.

In that moment, Gabriella looked out in the crowd. A dead silence swept through the audience and Gabriella scanned the room, her eyes skipping Troy like he wasn't even there. Her body was doing all the right moves but her eyes were way out of align. For a moment, they looked just as desperate as he did. Troy took that as his last straw of hope.

He slowly stood, erect almost too stiff and firmly stated, "I do".

Heads turned, eyes met, people gasped and talked frantically for seconds. Troy waited for his eyes to meet with Gabriella's. And when they did, Troy's world shattered.

Her face was crooked, in a grimace. Her mouth was opened slightly full of shock and her eyes were as far away from Troy as he feared in his worst nightmares.

Gabriella, however, looked at Troy with a sudden enlightenment. Her body froze, almost numb. She wanted to reach out to Troy this minute and simply run away. But something nailed her to the spot in front of the altar.

She remembered.

This was why she hated weddings. This was everything behind it. Gabriella's mind raced back to her seven year old self on a similar day like today. The day of her mother's wedding. There was a pretty pink frock, roses and lavender, the same dress that Gabriella was wearing today and there was a ceremony. She remembered sitting on her grandmother's lap, watching her mother and soon-to-be father tie the knot. When the time came, the priest asked the very same question and one man in the back of hall with black hair and crazy brown eyes stood up and said the same exact words.

The man was Gabriella's father.

This memory was the last memory that Gabriella had of seeing her mother ensured. Watching her in that white dress at the altar in front of the man who claimed to love her as her future became set in stone; she saw security and satisfaction in my mother that day. An assurance that she would never see in her eyes ever again. All because of a man with black hair and crazy brown eyes that was called 'papa'.

The wedding was disastrous for Gabriella's mother, Maria. Maria was about to get married to a man who assured that her daughter would be safe even when Maria wasn't around. The man had promised to get Maria educated in order for her to get a job as a doctor like she had always wanted. The man had promised to love her. And she promised to try loving him.

When Gabriella's father destroyed her wedding, the man who promised her love deserted her and the man who destroyed Maria's future couldn't give her anything but love. When Maria fell sick three months later with no insurance and no way to pay medical bills; she had hidden from her family that she had cancer so no one would worry. She couldn't bear to put that stress on her family. So she died a year later with almost no treatment.

Tears escaped Gabriella's eyes now looking at Troy. Gabriella thought of her mother dying every day but not the fact that it all started with the man her mother truly loved who was brave enough to stand up for it. An exhale of relief left Gabriella's system. She had just relived one of her most vivid, horrible memories. But Gabriella couldn't help but feel that the black haired man with crazy brown eyes that was called 'papa' was completely different from this brown haired man with crazy blue eyes that was called 'lover'.

Gabriella turned to Devon who looked utterly confused. She slowly said, "I'm sorry, Devon. I can't".

His eyebrows drew together, his eyes weakened and he reached his upper teeth out to bite his bottom lip. Not willing to see anymore, Gabriella picked up her dress and left the hall.

Five minutes later, Gabriella found herself in almost the same situation as almost three months ago. She sat on the closed toilet seat of the bathroom inside of her best friend's room, waiting for Sharpay to come in and fix everything.

A knock on the door and the knob turned. Gabriella stood, waiting for those familiar hazel eyes to meet with hers so she can collapse in tears. But when the door opened, instead of two hazel eyes, she met with two blues ones.

Her heart exploded. She didn't know what to do. She had gotten so prepared to vent out everything that just happened and sort out a solution to everything with her best friend. He stepped inside. Gabriella bit her lip, trying to hold in the giant tears behind her eyes and keep steady. It only lasted two seconds.

"Oh, Troy!" she wailed and slammed into his chest. He took her in willingly.

Troy didn't know what to say. He thought that he would come in here and receive a scolding worse than what his mother gave him when he was young. So, Troy just held her close. Soon enough, Gabriella looked up into his eyes.

"Troy…" she moaned. He waited listening for more. Nothing came out of her mouth. She just whimpered.

"Come on" Troy soothed, taking her hand. He led her to the bath tub and stepped inside, motioning for her to follow. She did. He sat down first ,after closing the shower curtain, on one side of this bathtub and she came down after him, sitting across from him. Troy took her hands in his and rubbed his thumb across hers.

"What's wrong?" Troy felt like it was a stupid question. What wasn't wrong right now? But Gabriella began to tell him everything.

And like three months ago, Troy listened, taking in every millimeter of her.

Finally when she was done, tears streamed across her face, she stared at Troy, waiting. He was beaming.

"What?" Gabriella sniffed, wiping the black streams on her face with a hand. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Troy chuckled. He caressed Gabriella's face with one hand and with the other took her hand and gave it a big kiss.

"Ella, I think you already know".

And she did. Gabriella's mother was happy. Gabriella's father, her mother and herself were very happy. Only after Maria's death, people found out that something was wrong. That says something. That says that Maria never wanted to ruin the happiness that she had, it says that she really risked everything to be with the love of her life and that she would of have died to make her beloved Gabriella happy.

Gabriella just released herself from one of her greatest fears so there was no problem. She sighed, a wave of grogginess hit her eyes. Relief. She looked up at Troy, who was still gazing at her with those beautiful eyes. She waited for him to say something.

"I love you" he finally said. Gabriella couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Oh, Troy!" she said for the third time today. This time she took the collar of his tux, pulled him forward and kissed him.

After the breathless kiss, Gabriella repositioned herself to lay on Troy's lap, her chest facing his and her legs intertwined with his.

"Now what?" Gabriella asked looking at Troy from where her head lie on his shoulder. He turned his head to meet her eyes. His hand ran up and down her arm as he smiled warmly.

"Now, we do whatever you want" Troy answered, satisfactorily. Gabriella grinned. She thought for less than five seconds.

"I want to stay here" she said.

Troy smiled this time and kissed her once more approvingly. Gabriella relaxed her head on his shoulder and just lay there in the bath tub of herbest friend's room in the Grand Plaza Hotel and thought to herself: _Maybe mistakes are simply meant to be._

**Honestly, if you guys don't get what's going on- you have my blessing to make it up. This isn't a TxG drabble more like a Gabriella finding her confidence and her true self kinda drabble. I hope it didn't suck too much! **

**Let me know! With love_, _cheers!**


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